Yarn and fabric and process of producing



UNITED srATns PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST G. FROMUTH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 ALVA CARPET & RUG COMPANY, .A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

YARN AND FABRIC AND PROCESS OF PRODUCING.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

1,336,516, Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing. Application filed. May 19, 1916. Serial No. 98,576.

To all whom it may concern Be 1t known that I, AUeUs'r G. FnoMU'rH,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Yarns and Fabrics and Processes of Producing, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a novel composite yarn and to fabrics woven therefrom, as well as to the improved process whereby the same are produced or manufactured.

My invention presents the advantages of convenience and cheapness in manufacture, as compared with the nearest approaches thereto which have been known heretofore; and, moreover, the use of my invention makes it possible to produce effects of a highly decorative and entirely novel character.

My improved composite yarn is produced by first twisting together a plurality, for example, two, three or more single strands of different natural colors, but of the same nature of material, as, for instance, undyed or natural white wool, undyed or natural gray wool and undyed or natural dark gray wool, or other combinations of natural colors, in the same kind of material, after which I apply color to the combination thus produced. The color may be applied by any well known process of drum printing, roller printing, or any other printing or dyeing process and may be printed or dyed either continuously or at intervals by means and in a manner well known in the manufacture of tapestry or velvet carpets or rugs, whether printed by the well known drum printing process, roller printing process or any other printing or dyeing process.

The color, being applied to an undyed thread or yarn of two or more different natural tints but all of the fibers of which are of the same nature, such as wool, produces a yarn of a corresponding color effect of variegated appearance. If solid blue be used, for instance, the composite will pre sent three different shades of blue, twisted together.

Heretofore composite yarns have been used, the single members or threads or strands of which were separately colored or dyed before being twisted together, and I make no claim to such a yarn. Composite yarns made in this manner, however, are not susceptible of use in carpet and rug weaving with the same advantageous re sults as is my improved yarn; and, moreover, the older process is slower and more costly than mine.

Also heretofore yarns of different natural colors have been woven into a fabric to produce or to help inproducing a pattern, but this practice is entirely unrelated to and forms no part or feature of my invention and I do not claim it, and obviously the advantages resulting from my invention cannot be obtained in this way.

Also heretofore it has sometimes been the practice to combine in one thread materials of different natures, such as jute and linen, or jute and cotton, or all three of these different materials, so that when dye is applied a varied efiect is produced by reason of the fact that the fibers being of different natures some of them take the dye more readily than do others, but this is wholly outside of my invention and I make no claim thereto. My invention is based upon the varied natural colors of different fibers of the same nature, such as wool, and which therefore have like properties as to their readiness in taking a dye.

For instance, in carrying out my invention, the undyed composite woolen yarns, for use in the figuring warp of a carpet or rug, may have patterns printed thereon by the well known drum print or pulley process, roller printing process or by any other process, whether by printing or dyeing, whereby a figure of variegated color may be produced on a ground of another variegated color. This effect is superior to anything hitherto produced in tapestry, velvet, Axminster, body' Brussels orlVilton carpets or rugs and cannot be obtained as economically or have as artistic an effect by use of yarns formed from strands dyed separately and then twisted together in the manner heretofore employed; and it is entirely out of the question to employ materials having different natures, wool being the only thing suitable, as is well known in the art.

Furthermore, I can combine the effects last described with those produced by my prior invention set forth in my application for patent, Serial No. 51,506, filed September 18, 1915, wherein narrow sharply defined stripes of color may be produced wherever desired in the length of the yarn, and may be located in juxtaposition to narrow sharply defined unprinted stripes. This combination achieves afurther enhancement of the effects possible.

A further advantage of producing a variegated yarn by my improved process is found in the different and improved esthetic character of the yarn, which has a sunlight and shadow effect, having a more lustrous appearance and an improved texture. In. the older process, the raw material goes first to. the spinner who makes the single threads or strands, then to the dyer who dyes. these in the single form and then to the manufacturer who twists the differently colored threads together. No further color can be successfully applied to these composite yarns, as. any additional color applied to these dyed, composite yarns deadensthe color effect, makes it lose its luster and diminishes its artistic appearance and at the; same time is more expensive, this having been tried and found a failure. But, ac cording to my invention, additional colors may be applied to the natural, variegated colors and may be printed upon-the yarn or upon the woven fabrics by any of the means employed for printing or dyeing the yarns or fabrics used for carpets or rugs or any other textile fabric. Also. in carrying out my invention the applied colors may be put on the variegated natural colored yarns more lightly than such colors have been commonly used heretofore thereby effecting a substantial saving in dyestuffs as well as enhancing the brilliancy of the color effects, and by this practice the original natural color tints are not suppressed but have a superadded brilliance.

Furthermore, according to my invention, all that the spinner has. to do is to put the several natural colors together at the original spinning. My invention includes and covers any desired combinations of the undyed threads in the yarns. For instance,

when three or more threads or strands are combined, 1- may employ one or more white and one or more light gray; one or more white and one or more dark gray; one or more light gray and one or more dark gray, or any. combination of natural colors of y r The artistic effect produced by my invention I have; found to be much superior to that, obtainable by the older process. It is richer, more artistic, less expensive and lends itself to uses to which the older yarns cannot be applied.

I claim:

1. The variegated yarn produced by twisting together strands of undyed woolen fibers of different natural colors and applying color at different separated points along the yarn so produced.

2. The variegated yarn producedv by twisting together strands of undyed woolen fibers of different natural colors and applying different colors at different separated points along the yarn so produced.

3. A patterned woven fabriccomprising in its weave a yarn composed of strands of wool of different natural colors having different colors applied to different separated parts along its length.

4. The process of manufacturing yarns which consists in twisting together undyed strands of wool of different natural colors and applying coloring matter to separated parts along the length of the composite yarn so produced.

5. The process of manufacturing variegated yarns which consists in twisting together undyed strands of wool of different natural colorsandapplying coloring matter of different colors to different separated parts along the length of the composite yarn so produced.

6. The process of manufacturing woven fabric consisting in weaving weft threads into a warp comprising variegated threads composed of a number of strands of wool of different natural colors and at some stage of the manufacture of the fabric applying coloring matter to. separated parts of said warp threads to form a pattern in the woven fabric.

7. The process of manufacturing wovenfabric consisting in weaving weft threads into a warp comprising variegated threads composed of a number of strands of wool of different naturalcolors and at some stage of the manufacture of the fabric. applying coloring matter of difierent colors. to different separated parts. of said warp threads to. form a pattern in the woven fabric.

8. A patterned woven fabric comprising in it's weave a yarn composed of strands of wool of different natural colors having coloring matter applied to separated parts along its length for thereby forming the pattern. In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

AUGUST G. FROM'U TH. 

